Chen Yunzhou was holding the small sum he'd won back from his unscrupulous company through arbitration. He hesitated over whether to pack up and return to his hometown, or buy a train ticket and audition for a rap show that nobody watched anymore.
The upside of auditioning was that he could revisit an unrealistic dream. The downsides were numerous: rappers were universally reviled these days, so even if he made it onto the show, he wouldn't become famous; and the man sitting at the judges' table was his idiot ex-boyfriend.
The main thing was that he didn't want to see his ex.
He was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from getting into a fight with him onstage.
He went anyway, and the show used him as a gimmick. A down-and-out OG was judged by his former "friend." The "friend" put on a sanctimonious face. "Even though we used to know each other, I can't let you through out of favoritism. Your style is a bit outdated, and your performance just now can't compare to your past shows at all. If you were someone else, I might have let you through, but I have higher expectations for you... I'm truly sorry."
The other contestants erupted.
Before things could get any worse, someone came over and gently took Chen Yunzhou by the hand. It was another young, popular star whom people mocked for not being qualified to serve as a judge.
Liu Yueheng looked Chen Yunzhou in the eye, resolute. "I want you."
A moment later, Liu Yueheng added, "I want you... I think you can bring a renaissance to Chinese rap."
Seven-year age gap, gong is 20 and shou is 27. The shou is the gong's idol. One-on-one, happy ending.
[Important] Please avoid if these are dealbreakers for you:
Readers who are very strict about their CP's sexual history should skip this, because the shou is not the gong's first.
Readers who favor the shou should skip this, because some parts are very hard on him (not due to the gong's abuse), and he loves the gong deeply.
Readers who favor the gong should skip this, because the shou is not the gong's first, and the gong loves the shou deeply.
The ex-boyfriend is a complete asshole. There is no love-triangle drama.
Theme: Love lets a sleeping dream break through the soil once more.
